Phragmite structure



(No Model.)

H. M. VAN ETTEN. l PHRAGMITE STRUCTURE.

Patented Oct. 6, 1896.

wirNEssES 1 l /ATTQRNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HELEN M. VAN ETTEN, OF MORAVIA, NEW YORK.

PH RAGMITE STRUCTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 568,930, dated October6, 1896. Application filed December 2, 1895. Serial No. 570,798. (Nomodel.) I

To all w/wm it may concern.'

Be it known that l, HELEN M. VAN ETTEN,

of Moravia, in the county of Cayuga, in the.

State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inPhragmite Structures, of which the following, taken in con` nection withthe accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

rIhis invention relates to the utilization of the species of Eastlndianphragfnites which is extensively used for wrappers around teachests.Said phragmites are naturally very pliable and capableof resistinga vastdegree of torsional strainand when woven or braided into sheets theyform a fabric which is inexpensive and very flexible and durable, andthus specially well adapted for the aforesaid purpose. It has, however,one serious defect, which is thatit ravels very easily when deprived ofthe welt which is usuallybraided around the edges of the sheet. Onaccount of this defect and its extreme pliability and liability ofdisturbance of its structure when under strain, said woven or braidedphragmites are unfit to be used for purposes which require the materialto be self-sustaining, so as to retain the integrity of its structureand at the same time possess the desired degree of flexibility.

The object of my invention is to obtain from said phragmites a suitablematerial formed in sheets from which to stamp or cut blanks for themanufacture of various articles, which blanks shall be infrangible,possess ample liexibility combined with integrity of structure andincreased stability and durability, without the use of a backing ofeither paper or other fibrous material or textile fabric, whichheretofore has been applied to sheets of plaitedlushes, palm-leaves,various grasses, &c. for the purpose of maintaining said sheets intact.I have found by experience thaTsuch backings become wrinkled andstrainor distort the structure of the sheet of woven phragmite, especiallywhen said sheet is exposed to moisture and subjected to twisting' orsevere bending or other torsional strains, and thus materially impairthe utility and durability of the woven phragmite and render it unfitfor many purposes for which my invention is designed.

My present invention consists of an improved sheet material from whichto stamp or cut blanks for the manufacture of various articles, whichsheet is of a uniform texture and thinkness throughout its length andbreadth and composed of woven East Indian phragmites and flexiblesolidifying cement incorporated in the structure of the sheet to renderthe same infrangible and self-sustaining, as hereinafter more fullydescribed, and set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure lis a face view of my improved articleof manufacture, and Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same.

a a designate the sheets or layers of woven or braided East Indianphragmites from which the body. of the invention is built up. In theprocess of manufacturing said body I rst apply to each of said sheetsseparately a coat of suitable iiexible cement, preferably rubber cement,which I thoroughly incorporate in the structure of the sheet, so as toprevent the braids from slipping or shifting on each other. By thistreatment I insure the integrity of the structure and obtain a solidsheet which is of a uniform texture and thickness throughout its lengthand Width and is prevented from raveling without the ,use of the usualbacking of textile fabric and other material or extra bindings of itsedges. Such single sheets will answer for some purposes, such as thecovers for portmanteaus and other small and light articles, but for thecovers of heavier articles, such as satcliels, dsc., I prefer to place aplurality of such sheets, prepared as aforesaid, one upon the other,with a coat of the aforesaid cement between them, as indicated by theheavy line c in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The layers a a thus combined Iplace between two flat stiff plates and subject the same to suflicientcompression to permanently unite the said layers in one solid sheet of auniform thickness throughout and impart,- smooth liat surfaces toopposite sides of said sheet. As soon as the cement has become setordried said manufactured sheet is ready for "the market, where it maybe used for the manufacture of various articles, such as the bodies ofpocket-books, satchels, book-covers, dac., the blanksfor which can becut or stamped out of thesheet, as indicated by dotted lines b in Fig. lof the drawings. These blanks Ioo possess the desired degree offlexibility and are free from liability of becoming raveled, and form abody which is of a uniform texture throughoutits entire depth, and ismuch cheaper than leather and very much stronger and more durable thanpasteboard, Woodpulp, or papier-mch heretofore used for such purposes.

In some cases the described manufactured sheet material may be requiredto be built up of more than tWo sheets of phragmite to increase thestability of the article to be manufactured therefrom, but in noinstance is it necessary or even desired to quilt or stitch the sheetstogether or apply thereto an extra backing of textile fabric or othermaterial.

What I claim as my invention is-f l. A sheet material from which to cutor stamp blanks for the manufacture of various articles, which sheet isof a uniform texture and thickness throughout its length and Width andcomposed of Woven East Indian phragmites and iiexible solidifying cementincorporated in the structure of the sheet to render the sameinfrangible and self-sustaining as set forth.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a sheet material from which tocut or stamp blanks for various purposes, which material is composed ofaplurality of layers of Woven East Indian phragmites, each of whichlayers is rendered infrangible independently of the companion layer by'a,flexible solidifying cement incorporated in the structure of the layerand a coat of flexible cement uniting said layers, said united layersforming the aforesaid sheet material of a uniform thickness and texturethroughout and infrangible in character as set forth. i A

In testimonyT whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 18th day ofNovember, 1895.

HELEN M. VAN ETTEN. [his] Vitnesses:

J. J. LAAss, M. A. LEYDEN.

